Mail-sorting device.



W. A. PARKER. MAIL SORTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1916.

Patented Fb. 13, 1917.

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WILLIAM A. PARKER, or LYLES, trnnnnssnn ass'ronon or ONE-FOURTH 'ro DBEWBY r. OVERBEY. OF LYLES, TENNESSEE.

MAIL-SORTING nnv rcn.

' Specifi'cationof Letters Eat'cnt.

Patented net. 18-, rear.

Application med name 14, i916. serial at. 84,251.

To allwkomit'maj concern: I j

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM A. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lyles, in the county of Hickman, State of Tennessee, have inventedtertain new and useful Improvements in Mail Sor'ting' Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in mail devices and particularly to mail sorting devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a device especially adapted for use by rural mail carriers to facilitate the collection and distribution of mail matter.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, can be conveniently carried in the mail wagon, can be easily operated, and which can be manufactured and sold at a compara tively low cost.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved mail sorting device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 44t of Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents a box, the major portion of which is divided into a plurality of pigeon holes 11 which are covered at the front of the box by means of the doors 12. The other end of the box is divided from the pigeon-holed section by means of the vertical partition 13, and rotatably mounted in this partition and the adjacent end wall of the box are the two rollers 14 and 15. Secured at its opposite ends to these rollers is a web 16 adapted to be wound from one to the other and passing under a tension roller 17 carried by an arm 18 mounted on the rear wall of the box and held in normal depressed position by a spring finger 19 also secured to the rear wall of the box. The roller 14.- is mounted in. the upper portion of the end compartment, while the roller 15 is mounted in the lower portion and directly inwardly from an opening 20 in the front wall of the box. Just inwardly of the opening, and between the front wall and the roller 15 is the downwardly and outwardly inclined table or platform 21, the outer end of which upturned as at 22 to prevent lettfe'rs placed thereon from sliding out through the opening. This table or platform 21 is pivotally supported from the roller 17 by means of the arms 23. Secured to the lower side of the table 21 are the downwardly extending brackets 24, the inner edges of which are curved concentrically with the roller 15 as shown at 25, and mounted in these brackets and projecting beyond the curved edge are the small rollers 26 bearing against the face of the roller to support the platform against direct contact therewith. Pivotally mounted on the front of the box, below the opening 20 is a platform 27, on which the mail to be routed is placed.

Through the end wall of the box one of the trunnions 28 of the roller-11- extends, and is squared to receive a crank handle 29 for rotating'the roller. Similarly one of the trunnions 30 of the roller 15 extends through the box and is adapted to receive the said crank handle for rotating the roller 15.

In the pigeon-holed portion of the box is a compartment 31 to which access is had through a slot 32 in the front of the box above the doors 12, and through this slot the collected mail is inserted into the said compartment. A drawer 33 is also disposed in the pigeon-holed section for stamps or other articles.

Before the mail man starts out on his route he places the pieces of mail, preferably the letters in their successive order in which they are to be distributed, on the platform 27. This will bring the last letter on the top of the pile. The mail man then places the top letter through the opening 20 onto the platform 21, and by means of the crank handle 29, which he has placed on the projecting end of the trunnion 30, he rotates the roller 15 to wind the web thereon. The letter will be drawn between the roller and the web and carried around in that position. The next letter on the pile is similarly placed on the platform 21, and the drum 15 again given a partial rotation. This operation is repeated until all the letters have been wound in between the layers of the web and the roller 15. When the mail man starts on his route he places the crank handle on the trunnion 28 and gives the roller 14; a partial turn which unwinds the web from the roller 15, and discharges the last letter placed therein, which is the first letter to be delivered. This operation is proceeded with until all of the letters have been discharged and delivered.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail sorting device comprising a housing, rollers mounted in one end of the housing, a web secured to said rollers and adapted to be wound from one roller to another, a feed table in front of one of the rollers for the reception of the letters, successively, to guide them into position between the layers of the web as said web is wound from one roller to another, said table receiving the letters successively from between the layers of the web as said web is unwound from the adjacent roller.

2. A mail routing device comprising a pair of rollers having a web secured at its opposite ends to the respective rollers and arranged to be wound from one roller to the other and vice versa, letter supporting means for guiding letters singly between the layers of the web as it is wound on one of the rollers and to receive letters discharged from the web as the web is unwound from the roller, a tension means for the web, and means for rotating the rollers.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. PARKER.

W itnesses J. J. EDWARDS, SAM WARREN.

Copies of this patent mav be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

